X-Entertainment's Christmas Season & Advent Calendar, 2008.

10/28/2006: Halloween Madness.

So, the sad face emoticon in the previous entry was the short version of saying “sorry about not updating.” A longer version comes in the form of the second annual Halloween Countdown article detailing It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown playing on network television. The special turned 40 this year, y’know.

I should’ve known that Halloween’s zero week was going to be an abysmally busy one at work, or at least, I should’ve predicted it enough to avoid making promises my fingers couldn’t cash. Oh well, game face — it’s Halloween weekend, and it’s only Saturday, and there are hundreds of horror movies all over television, and I have Cocoa Krispies with marshmallows shaped like eyeballs. All-or-mostly good here, and I hope it’s all-or-mostly great on your side. Parties? Costumes? Discuss in the comments.

Found these dudes last week on a department store romp last week, and though the content would’ve been too similar to the Creepy Classics article to make for a very interesting Countdown entry, I at least needed to blog ‘em. Scary Stretchies is a broad collection of rubbery monsters from all walks of afterlife, sold for about four bucks a pop on neat little cards. They’re pretty well made and impossibly well detailed considering the materials used to make them, and since monsters are a dish best served crude and generic, I implore you to buy them before they’re replaced with stretchable snowmen next week.

Up first is a random skeleton who glows in the dark, and who has red, gravely viscera inside his meatier parts. For bravado points alone, he’s probably my favorite. Skeletons can’t hold a candle to Dracula or the Wolfman under normal circumstances, but look at this guy’s face. He’s the lead monster and he knows it. On the right, it’s a rather unique perspective of Dracula, with blue skin and a veritable lion’s mane. I’d probably like him more if he wasn’t posed to look like he’s shooing away a bee.

I’m not a big fan of the Wolfman or werewolves in general, but the guy on the left is top notch. He looks kind of like Lucifer from Ghosts ‘N Goblins after a run-in with a bucket of brown paint, diet pills and a clothes-stealing goofball. The apple-wielding witch on the right looks positively drunk. I love how the apple, the striped stockings and everything else make her a sort of amalgam of the many different witches of pop culturedom. She’s the witch who wants to go to costume parties and emphatically answer “yes” to every question starting with “are you supposed to be.”

Finally, some plain old creatures, including a glow-in-the-dark bat who looks awfully cute — like a gentle mouse with wings. On the bat’s right wing, there’s about 45 words worth of trademarking etched on. Seriously, his wing looks like a page in a book. The bat also wasn’t given any arms. Even in bat terms, bats kind of have arms. The spider is about what you’d expect, save for having the biggest ass I’ve ever seen on a spider.

Hmm. How can I extend this? Let’s go with Woolworth.

Click here to watch a late ’70s Woolworth Halloween commercial, of extremely shitty video quality, featuring a woman absolutely obsessed with getting you to shop there. Much of my Halloween memories stem from pharmacy trips, so this one hits home. We’re told of the many fine candies and costume sets available, and then offered an amazing “Sounds To Make You Shiver” album for just $1.89. I’m sure the album consisted of a bunch of rock-dropping-on-the-floor sound effects, but it had the greatest sleeve art ever.

Never been first before.. so sorry had to get that in there! New countdown entry.. I am so happy! YAY what a good day!

Great to see you back Matt! You put a good ol’ fashioned Halloween Scare into us-

I actually own that very record. But I cannot attest to the quality unless it fits into my cd player.

I went to Goodwill today and worked on my Halloween Costume (I’m going to be a pirate, arrrr) I got black flowy too-short pants, a white shirt (which was a regular button-up collared shirt, but since I’m not a pirate businessman, I altered it a lot, cut and sewed it into a v-neck, and laced shoelaces through the front) and a dark red shirt (which was long sleeves with a collar, but I cut the sleeves off and cut the collar off and made it into a vest type deal). It’s not quite done yet, but I’m happy with the way it’s going. I’m going to be wearing an eyepatch, so everybody will know I’m a pirate, even if my costume turns out crappy. I love mutilating clothing!!!

Watching Great Pumpkin makes me remember the days when for one night a year, your parents let you explore your neighborhoods in darkness. How the late fall air hardened from winter’s encroachment.

Saw Saw 3 today. EXTREMELY gory compared to the first two, but just as good. But you need to see the first two first because plotlines from both are addressed in this one along with the new story.

You can find many of those holiday specials (including Garfield Halloween) on Youtube, but it’s just not the same as seeing them on tv or vhs.

As for Speedball, I’d rather be anybody except for him at the moment, since he’s currently getting the “OZ” treatment in the Civil War: Frontlines mini.

Also saw the new Nightmare on Elm Street comic, but didn’t buy it. I spend too much on comics as it is.

I’m heading to a Halloween/Costume/Birthday party tonight! I’m going as an 80’s punk rocker chick- got most of the outfit at a second hand clothing store. Can’t wait!

Matt- No worries about posting/updating- we all know how busy life can get. Nice to see you back- you gave us all a scare!

kittygirl- I know how it feels to be really sick/in the hospital etc. It’s the pits. I wish you well, and keep those spirits up!

Matt, don’t fool yourself, this site is still one of the best out there. The rest of the internet is so wishy-washy.

My halloween: This weekend I’m (failing, but) looking for people to go see Nightmare Before Christmas with me, and doing laundry. On Halloween itself I have class until 8. I’m usually the one who gives the party so…that’s out. I’m going to sit around and hope my friends are as miserable as I am and watch Roseanne Halloween specials.

Yay, Matt’s back. Don’t worry, you aren’t too old for any demographic. Funny knows no age. I’m only 20, so most of the stuff on here from the early-to-mid 80s is unfamiliar to me, but your style transcends the unfamiliarity and I end up learning about these nifty toys and TV shows and films I would otherwise never encounter. Yay, run-on sentences.

Oh, and I, for one, certainly don’t mind the gaps between updates. The stuff you end up posting is so high-quality that it immediately makes up for the few days I’m forced to go without my fix of X-E-induced nostalgia.

Phew. Jess + Halloween party= Headache. I (gasp!)didn’t dress up. I just started my new job, so there wasn’t money in the budget for a costume this year…or time to make one. I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t dressed up, and most people just added some horns or wings to their everyday attire. The beer pong was fun, and I only got on the pity pot for a few minutes, which was good, considering how lonely I’ve been as of late. My roomates daughter is going to a halloween party tonight, and I have the honor of turning her into a zombie. Woot woot! Halloween is so much fun with kids in the house!

This site *is* one of the best out there. It’s like a pillar of nostalgia. It’s a beacon for those of us who grew up in a time when you would see action figures in the stores and be totally geeked to see what the cartoon would be like. And don’t think for a minute that your demographic isn’t growing up (or whatever..succumbing to adult responsibilities) just as you are. Many of us have experienced this feeling of distance from Halloween, or Christmas, wondering if the real world has finally gotten to us. But it’s always going to be there. I love X-e, and I’m glad you keep writing.

Maybe they aired You’re Not Elected because it’s also on the Great Pumpkin DVD, at least in the boxed set. I put in Garfield’s Halloween Adventure instead and made myself sing along with each song.

Well, I think it’s safe to say we all overreacted at the sight of the sad smiley face. At least now we know he isn’t dead or something.

Is it bad I forgot “Great Pumkin” was on last night? I’m sorry I missed it now…
My major plans for Halloween are cancelled I guess. I was planning on going to see Unknown Hinson in concert (the voice of the Squidbilly show, but look him up to see why it would have been perfect for Halloween), but my ‘friends’ are shit and if they went, I sure as hell didn’t hear of it. You ever get that “if I disappeared would anyone notice?” feeling? yeah….
Anyway, to Matt: someone said it earlier: this site is one of the most dependable on the interweb. Sure you don’t always post regularly, but when you do it’s like reading the thoughts of someone you know. You’re way of being yourself and saying what you want it what makes people come back over and over. Take time off when you need it, just keep posting whenever you feel the need; we’ll be here when your ready. And to everyone who called our boy an asshole or complained about no updates-shame on you. Now I’m gonna watch “Shaun of the Dead” tonight while I catch up on work (woohoo!) and try to find my own Halloween happiness….

Matt, keep doing what you’re doing. I support you. Post every once in awhile, some nights you just can’t do it. I know. I publish a weekly comic book. Or try to, anyways. I think I’ve orphanned it after seven issues. Some days I just don’t feel like comicking. Sometimes there’s just no time. I know how it is, man. And as long as you keep at it in some capacity, I don’t mind delays.

I was just reading last year’s poignant Great Pumpkin entry last night too- bells and whistles or not, it’s still pretty incredible that this has been broadcast in primetime every season for the past 40 years… and not once did I notice the kid in the orange shirt.
Now I can’t wait for Thanksgiving, that has to be the most underrated Peanuts holiday specials ever.

Also, I scribbled a quick doodle of good ol’ Charlie Brown as the perfect model last night- click my name to see it.

I miss seeing It’s the great pumpkin EVERY year! I think I’ve been coming here for 3 years and every year it gets announced at what time it’s on, and I always, always forget to watch it! I suck! I guess there is always next year

GloriousKyle, you got some kick ass talent! I like your Charlie Brown but I really love your Abraham Lincoln Zombie!

â€œHe’s the lead monster and he knows it. On the right, it’s a rather unique perspective of Dracula, with blue skin and a veritable lion’s mane.â€

Obviously Lion-O finally met his match, Dracula! Now Lion-O comes out of the Catâ€™s Lair at night to fest on the blood of the Burbels! Wait, do Burbels have blood and how do you spell Burbels?

So is it blasphemous to wish that they would compress up the charlie brown specials a bit? The pacing for a cartoon was so different 40 years ago that Great Pumpkin, and to an even greater extent the Christmas special seem to have all these awkward pauses to modern ears (and my ears aren’t so modern, I’m not much younger than the special).

The network could probably squeeze a couple of minutes worth of commercials by cutting out a couple second of silence here and there.

Course, the music bed would be much harder to compress, unless they still have a multitrack master of the audio for the special somewhere.

Wow, I was watching this earlier (recorded it last night, thus ruining the whole “primetime” effect, but the thought counts) and went through the exact same thought process! From wondering about yellow sleeves to Ronald’s active lifestyle to the freaky Linus eyeballs to the sudden understanding when he launched into his ostracizing Great Pumpkin speech. As far as the philosophical stuff, well, you should know that it’s pieces like this that probably mean the most the demographic that’s most important to me, i.e. myself.
Remember, Shaun of the Dead tonight at 9 on Comedy Central (I checked, they’re not playing it in the Secret Stash :(). Ladies, be sure to watch for an appearance by Martin Freeman, sporting a foxy shorn ‘do. Or, for you premium subscribers, there’s a Dexter marathon starting at 8 on Showtime (which everyone should watch so I can stop feeling like the only one into it).

Matt, don’t worry about your lack of recent updates. Life can get busy, and sometimes even I have trouble catching up with new articles on the site. I’m not bothered by the posts being no-so daily; I’m just glad that what you do post is great.

I find it harder to get into Halloween more than ever. Every year, it seems as though less kids are out, costumes are less interesting (the number of cowboys/cowgirls increases ten fold), and in back of my mind, I always think that anybody who doesn’t trick-or-treat on Halloween can always go out to the store the day after and buy a bunch of candy at half-price. Someday, I hope Halloween can be as meaningful as Christmas still is for me.

Awesome article once again, Matt. Believe me every fragment of the seasonal countdowns you do, DO mean as much to us as it does to you. And you’re allowed time in between entries…I look forward to them and it gives me time to catch up with the previous articles.

I had to laugh at your discovery of who the ghost is who holds the door for Snoopy. I was wondering that same thing honestly when my sister and I were watching our DVD of the special last week (we missed the actual T.V. broadcast).

As for my Halloween plans this year? I will be partying with the Opie and Anthony show at the Hard Rock Cafe and I’m going dressed as the prince of darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne…the Osbournes Ozzy not Black Sabbath Ozzy or Crazy Train Ozzy… I’m talking striped sweatpants and round sunglasses!!! O&A Party Rock!!

OMG!!! 5, The Eyes, and Snoopy!! I noticed all of them. I thought it was Chuck holding the door for Snoopy at first, like a baffoon, but then the whole multi-eye costume business left me feeling very Unsolved Mystery-ry.

Let me know the addresses of these ungrateful readers and me and The Colonel will take care of them Jay&Bob-style

“You’re Not Elected” is included as a bonus on this year’s version of the DVD, too, in case anybody wants to own it for whatever reason. (It also includes a trick-or-treat bag that’s big enough to hold maybe half a block’s worth of candy.)

Yes, it IS true: “5″ was a real Peanuts character that appeared in the strip at the time. I remember the series of comics that introduced him at the time. He said his name was “5″ because his parents thought naming children numbers was the future and they wanted first dibs on the simple numbers. Yep.

Glad you’re back. I hope you keep doing this, I know it is hard to stand out, but you basically run my favorite site. So much nostalgia, and the just the way you write, your humor, you sure seem unique to me! =)
If you really can’t tie your shoes.. I just have to say that I find that extremely adorable.

Wow.. you mean at Woolworth’s I can buy “wrapped” candy? So much better than that unwrapped stuff

I, too noticed 5 holding the door for Snoopy this year for some odd reason, and then I see that I wasn’t the only one! Huzzah!

And, like I said last blog, did anyone notice the preview for the OTHER Peanuts Special airing with the Thanksgiving special? “He’s A Bully, Charlie Brown!” which looks and sounds like a version that Robert Smigel could’ve (and probably) done!

And Holy Shit, Woolworth!!! I remember going to those all the time, and the spots in the malls where they used to be. I remember three: One in the shopping center where I work that’s now a Marshall’s, one in the Sunrise Mall that was 2 floors, and that was taken over by The Wiz, then that closed, then a Food Court was put there, and the 2nd floor remains unused. Then there’s the South Shore Mall, and I believe that it was next to the Friendly’s there, I remember a door connecting it.

I’m flipping between Shaun of the Dead and Red Green …I forgot how great that movie is.

Like everyone else has said, don’t feel bad for not updating this site much this season. I’ve been feeling bad because I haven’t had time to read any of the countdown this year. Between work and school, it’s been way too busy. Plus, I’m supposed to be moving the week after Halloween, so that’s another stress. In my neighborhood, there’s only 3 kids, so I guess that’s going to be my Halloween night. I’m so boring and over Halloween, and I’m only 23!!

Great article Matt! I was all pumped about Halloween but then slacked off thinking I didn’t need a costume, now I want one again. I’m gonna have to hit up Goodwill tomorrow and find an old suit or something to bloody up and be a zombie.
Ps - What’s everyone’s favorite halloween movie, not special? Mine is Ernest Scared Stupid. Ernest was the shit when I was a kid.

Heh, I always wondered who that orange sleeved kid was. One thing I noticed when I recented watched Great Pumpkin was that in the scene where Linus is writing to the Great Pumpkin, Lucy is reading a TV Guide with her picture on it. I probably never noticed it because I always used to watch it on a super grainy taped off of TV VHS that was all jumpy. This year I got it on DVD, hah.

No matter what the rest of the internet is doing, I’ll still come here first when I want to read about toys I had (or really, really wanted) when I was a kid. I think your articles are hilarious.

Tommy
One of my favorite Halloween movies is also Ernest Scared Stupid!! Two other favorites are Spaced Invaders (confused aliens invade earth on Halloween) and Mad Monster Party (I don’t think it’s necessarily a Halloween movie, but it does have monsters!!)

Hey, sorry this is OT, but did you get my email about the new Berry Blue koolaid? I can’t believe its out again! :) But like I said in my email…you probably already know.

I was too distracted by Ronald’s hair to notice his active lifestyle. Since when does Ronald McDonald part his hair on the side? It’s like, “He can keep the white face and the big, painted on, red mouth, but we don’t want him to look TOO much like a clown.”

I still find drug stores to be slightly magical places. I don’t know how it’s possible, but they always have cool stuff you don’t see anywhere else. Seriously, I think the candy companies make “drug store exclusives”. I used to love the rare times I got toys from the drug store because it felt like such a victory. They were toys that would have been lucky to earn a passing glance from you at a toy store, but became completely beg-worthy at a drug store. Good times…

Alright drug-store toy time. Anyone else remember the playsets that were housed in plastic boxes that were shaped like books?

The cover velcroed to the plastic piece etched to look like the pages, and you opened it out for a illustrated playset. Those things rocked. I had a school, a farm, a gas station, and I’m sure I had a couple more. They were pretty big too.

Does anyone else notice trick or treat starts WAY earlier than when we were young (Plug for Killers song). Trick or treat starts in Ohio at 5:30 now and its still light out. When I was a kid, Trick or Treat would start like at 7:00 - 9:00 in the REAL darkness. It was lot more spooky and alot more FUN in the darkness. Anyone else notice Trick or Treat starting earlier?

Glad to see a new entry. This is off topic, but all the halloweenery has got me thinking about a scene from a TV episode or movie from the mid 80’s or so. It use to really creep me out and haunted me when I was a wee kid, although it is probably really cheez by today’s standards. Don’t remember much from it, but wondering if this rings any bells with anyone…
had a really old man in it, the family didn’t like him or wished he would die.. something to that effect. at one point the old man blows his nose and the nose comes off into a handkerchief. That is what I remember anyway… any bells ringing?

Completely off-topic, but not really…
Beck is on SNL right now. His band is sitting at a table and banging on shit. Beck is mumbling weird words; may or may not be English. There are puppets involved. This is the scariest thing I’ve seen in awhile; but the most interesting thing I’ve seen on SNL in 4-ever

Also, I just back from town. There are like six people in line ALREADY for the Wii/Elmo/PS3 day tomorrow. And it’s raining a bit. That also scares me a little…..

HA!! Thats it Matt! Thanks! Damn that was a good show. I just found some info on that episode after you gave me the title at http://popculturejunction.blogspot.com/ Great Stuff.

Ahhh halloween drugstore memories. Every year they would have the same rubber bat that hung from a wite elastic string. I had a thing for bats. I would have loved that stretchey bat.

Im actually feeling that vampire’s design, sort of a “Bram Stokers Dracula” thing going on. Wolfman rocks, Ive seen that spider all year round. I use to work at walmart and when ever I had to do reshops in the toy isle I would walk around squeezing that spiders ass. It feels like a combo of liquid latex and soft packing beads, oh most sentual.

that entry you did on charlie brown is my new favorite entry of all time. it beats the worst breakfast ever entry which i showed to my friends since the first day i saw it and still do. you poured your heart out and i feel the same way as you, my birthday is on halloween in fact and ive noticed as i grew older, halloween seemed to mean less and less to everyone around me. i hardly see kids trick or treat anymore in my area and halloween is just pre-christmas season now, its disgusting. this year seemed to be a bit different and i hope halloween can begin to mean something more once again. 22 years later, i want to put on a costume and pretend im a kid again and see how much candy i can get in one night. oh and i noticed that 5 kid as well, im glad to know it wasnt just me. thanks for a great entry

Like I said last night. I think you forget that you do it for yourself not for us. But you don’t want us to start thinking that we don’t have an article to look forward to and if we get one we will be suprised because you can’t keep a promise. This site is not important to us but it is at the same time. I love getting to know you Matt like everybody. We all feel like your our friend.

And Matt, I never noticed the “5″ kid. I’m going to try to find some comic strips with him in it right now. That’s neat that you figured that out.

Also, Matthew Kaplowitz The hungryman breakfast was the very first x-entertainment.com article I have ever read! That was 3 halloween’s ago (counting this one) and so at the time I caught up on the halloween countdown and just kept on reading. Cool.

Shuanfu: Stupid? You gain an extra hour of sleep! It’s awesome…Much better than in the spring, when you have an hour cruelly stripped from you…

I didn’t watch “Great Pumpkin” either, but I do have the video, so I have seen it a few times this holiday season. Peanuts stuff never gets old. I have to pick up the Thanksgiving video. I almost did the last time I was at the FYE near the grocery store where I work; maybe if I actually make something resembling money next month.

Matt, never forget how lucky you are that, unlike many of us, you’re doing a job that allows you to use your creative skills and mostly enjoy yourself and still make money to buy great stuff, no matter how much time it takes from your site. We’re all here for you whenever you can write. Hell, this is a busy time of year for almost anyone, and you started the Halloween countdown really early again this year. We have plenty to sustain us.

(Also, don’t forget that your demographic is growing up along with you, and that we’re not the only demographic that loves nostalgia…)

As for Halloween, I’m going to spend it working for eight hours, since I’m one of the only people in Camden County with no kids and no particuar fondness for partying. I don’t know if we’re allowed to dress up at the store I’m at now; if we are, I’ll probably be a fairy or an angel.

Imperial also has a line of those “Lifelike Stretch Screamers” in officially liscensed Universal Monsters characters. They have them at Kmart.
Glorious Kyle: Love your Plan 9 vig.

Muppet baby: thanx for the good wishes. it does suck being in the hospital anytime and even worse during holidays. I was hospitalized during 2003’s halloween season and it really sucked. the hosp had alot of halloween festivities going on (”service animals’ in costume, etc) but since i was ina seperate room i didnt know about it and no one came to see me. It sucked bad. lol

Missed the great pumpkin the other night which bothers me cos its the first halloween that I have not seen it. :( I did rent a halloween pooh movie for my daughter so i guess we’ll be watching that instead.

Oh and yea there might be other sites on the net doing similiar things but no one does it with the kind of style and witty writing as X-E. Everyone else seems like pale imitators.

Went to CVS today to get fake blood, and they had empty boxes of Charlie Brown GP action figures.

All they had was snoopy, which was pretty lame. CVS will now be called Disappointing.

Don’t feel bad Matt. The reason there’s a ton of sites doing what you do, is because you did it first and best. Keep doing what you’re doing. I STILL say to write abook though!! Finally, just update when you can. Although, if there is no post thanksgiving parade review, I will be very, very sad.

im glad im not alone, in feeling a little less than regualrly halloween-y. I wish to declare a war on the borders of holidays, and that the spooky season should be extended to march. keep xmas, and thxgiving, but lets keep the grinning jack-o-lanterns plz.

Excellent article, Matt. I agree- doing things like watching those specials on TV and ignoring the shit you’re SUPPOSED to be doing for awhile- THAT’S what holidays are all about.

I went to a Halloween birthday/costume party last night. It turned out great only 2 people weren’t dressed up- everyone came through with a cool costume- I was an 80s punk rocker chick. It was a great time, but now I feel like Halloween is over- that felt like Halloween to me, so it seems weird that it’s only on TUESDAY. God. I better watch my VHS copy of the Great Pumpkin to fill the void until then.

Also, for anyone interested- Tonight’s episode of ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos’ is a Halloween one.

Does anyone know if tonight will be a new TREEHOUSE OF HORROR on the Simpsons or what??

Muppet Baby, TREEHOUSE OF HORROR will debut next Sunday.
Have you guys missed me because I have really missed you. That article really hit home Matt because I feel the exact same way. I am already passed Halloween and already feeling Christmas even though I don’t want to.
Since we are already melancholy, I guess I can air out some of the reasons why I haven’t been around lately. 2006 started off great but it has really fallen apart.
REASONS WHY ‘06 IS NOT AS GOOD AS IT WAS (in no order):
1. My mom got cancer.
2. Home repairs galore.
3. (a confidental loss)
4. Our Halloween party last night was kind of a letdown.
5. AND THE BRAND NEW ONE FOR TODAY, the guy who died at the GA/FL game last night is my 2nd cousin (mom’s cousin) WHO IS MY AGE (27).

On the positive side, we got some good pictures of last nights festivities and I will post them tomorrow in time for the big day.

Matt, awesome article. X-Entertainment is the best site on the internet, hands down. It has gotten better and better over the years, thank you for this site.

Secondly, I also noticed all of those weird things you mentioned for the first time when I watched it again the other day. And I’m buying the whole 5 thing, gotta be him.

Finally, can anyone explain to me why the Garfield Halloween Special doesn’t follow The Great Pumpkin anymore? WHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYY? Who cares who gets elected? Not me, I just want to see ghost pirates and Binky the Clown!

Seriously Finally, no joke about Christmas. At this point, I can’t wait for Halloween to just come on already so I can start watching Christmas movies and get into the best part of the whole year!

Got a HUGE pumpkin tonight. It was the largest the patch had. It IS the Great Pumpkin. Took me a solid hour just to it clean out.

PS: Don’t forget that AMC is having Monster Fest X, which has been awesome this weekend, which is almost over…………

We’re all getting old, but X-E is our ticket to being nine years old again and wanting to be a ninja with Gizmo as our sidekick, who gets to eat lunchables and McDonalds anytime we want. And when it’s time to go to bed, we can stay up late and watch Tales from the Crypt, even though we’re not supposed to because sometimes it shows boobs. Then when we wake up the next day, it’s CHRISTMAS! and we got a Castle Grayskull and Mad Scientist Lab and all of the big Inhumanoid monsters.

This is the first time I’ve commented on any site. I have been reading x-entertainment for what seems like forever. I really enjoy it. We were all worried about you the last day or so. I can’t tell you how happy I was to see the new article. (The mind can break the heart when you’re not sure what’s up. So double thanks for the heads up.)
Sort of in keeping with the thread: I have a little girl. I can not wait for her to start trick or treating so I can really enjoy the holiday. (By scarfing most of her haul.) That won’t be this year — I think it’s too cold here already. What I’m really waiting for is when I can watch “Rocky Horror Picture Show” with her. That’s probably a few years in the future. (Mind you if she wakes up and sneaks in to watch it I won’t send her back to bed. But she won’t.)
So. . . happy halloween and welcome back. We miss you too much when you’re gone.

Matt, I didn’t know websites like yours existed (and never would have thought to hunt for any) until a friend on HalloweenForum.com mentioned your article about Hallmark Halloween commercials. That was a Friday night so I spent the next two days reading all the old Halloween countdowns (pausing only to make food, nap and make vague grunting noises over the phone). Now I check the blog every day hoping for an update… but I don’t just expect one. Personally, I feel like we’re all priviledged that you let us read your writing. And why would I want to read those “other websites” when I can find it all on X-E??

And about lacking the Halloween spirit… I always get my Halloween spirit way too early (like August) and I make all these plans for closer to Halloween, but it seems like there’s never enough time to actually do them, then by the time it actually gets here, I’m so depressed that I haven’t done more, I just kind of let it pass by with nothing more than a few good horror movies and some candy.

Yesterday night I was at the Carolina Hurricanes game, and I got into the arena about an hour before game time, and they were airing that Great Pumpkin special on the video screen! A real treat, as this is my favorite of the Peanuts specials.

Speaking of 5, there is another Peanut character that is a mystery - that one kid with the funny white cardboard hat…you know who I’m talking about, right?

Oh man, you guys have to do yourselves a favor and try to catch “Halloween on Ice starring Nancy Kerrigan” on the Style Network. Frankenstein’s Monster doing triple lutzes, and Manheim Steamroller! (It’s on again on Tuesday.)
Watched Shaun of the Dead last night and even caught a few minutes of the replay this morning and continued to enjoy it, which has convinced me it’s time to just get the DVD already. Also watched The Crazies from TCM Underground and found that I really liked it. Granted, I’m a sucker for survivalist stories, and Seventies movies of all forms (the cynicism! the feathered hair! the knits!) but it was a damn good movie.
Sorry to hear things have been sucking, Manimal. It’s always great when you’re around. And welcome to the blog, tracelore!
I’ve been wracking my brain for Halloween-themed movies, and haven’t been able to come up with many I could call favorites. There’s Elvira: Mistress of the Dark…if even a single one of the Harry Potter movies had managed to translate the coolness of Halloween at Hogwarts onscreen I could say that, but none of them have.

For those that still watch Cartoon Network, they ran Nightmare Before Christmas at 7! (I missed it, work)

Nice article on the great pumpkin. Sounds like you’re getting a bit strung out from the site, though. Life is life. I am just happy to have an occassional entry. More people should appreciate what you do, and revel in what they can get instead of pushing you to put out more stuff. Seriously, anyone can do what you do on this site, but very few could reach the level of quality this site has. You’re a pretty funny guy, keep up the great work. Been reading for years, and will continue to as long as you keep churning stuff out. Just do what you can, when you can, and remember the whole point of the site is for EVERYONE, including you, Matt, to have fun! Maybe you could induct some underlings if people REALLY MUST have updates every day of the week.

Matt…I think you only need to browse briefly around the web to see the influence that X-Entertainment has.

Need some last-minute Halloween decorations? Got any spare tampons lying around? Then you’re in luck!

TB Tabby, that wins the prize for Most Bizarre Thing I Have Ever Seen In My Entire Life. Now I feel kind of dirty for looking at it.

Something about the Great Pumpkin seems to consistantly bring out your best and most reflective writing. Take it from someone who read your stuff back from when you were MacBeth, your writing isn’t the same as 2000; but it shouldn’t be. Its gotten more interesting in a lot of ways, and the internet will always have a place for it. Bang up job this season as usual. Can’t wait for the days from now till Christmas. Thanks again

Heeey, Matt - your public loves you! We still reserve the right to give the occasional Ni! Ni! in order to get the Chia Plot finished, but hey, give us a shrubbery once in a while and we’ll be fine…

(Manimal - My Gran died of cancer when I was seven, and now both my parents are having biopsies, so I’ve been very uptight lately. To cap it all, I tried going horseriding and got bucked off. I hate that horse. And of course I burst into tears when I tried getting on again; it wasn’t the horse at all. I guess I just can’t switch off my emotions any more by pretending they aren’t there. Oh well, I forsee kingklash’s comment: “She fell off her horse and onto her ass!!!”)

Articles like this are why I come here every day. Matt is able to say what is in so many of our hearts.

Oh man, I had that record! It was great! I used to sit around listening to it and waiting for Halloween to come back around. Seriously.

Matt, I hope you keep writing the site for a long, long time even if you can’t get around to it as much as you’d like anymore. Though X-E has many imitators they are all missing that something special that keeps me coming back here day after day. You’re enthusiasm is contagious and has got me exicted over everything from Cocoa Bats to McDonald’s Monopoly to Star Wars toys in the past. I can’t even count how many times this site has had me laughing out loud. I love seeing the articles about old commercials, TV shows, and junk food that I never knew I still remembered. So, um, yeah… that’s what X-E means to me. Keep up the great work.

XE is to other nostalgic sites as Coke is to store brand cola.
If it’s the only thing there, you’d drink it. But, you’d be wishing it was the real thing the whole time. Loved this article, especially the critique of [fake] Ronald. I’m in the boat with the antsy for Christmas people. The local radio station that does the holiday thing switches over in 2 weeks!!!!

I’ve only been reading your articles for the last month, but i goota say i appreciate your site alot. Being 22 I’m more of a 90’s kid than an eighties kid, but your writing is always so informative that i love reading em. Anyway, don’t listen to any dickheads that are giving you a hard time about about not writing everyday: You’ve got a family and a job (and a few cats apparently) so don’t be to hard on yourself. Well, I guess I’m done kissing your ass, lol, keep up the good work! And I have an off-topic question for you: What did you think of the Batman Animated Series? It would be so awesome if you wrote a little something about him, Batman is kind of in a forever Holloween, right?

Wow, article really hit home Matt… I too get all excited for halloween, starting around sept 20th or so, bombard my netflix que with horror movies, and then when it comes, I hand out osme candy and thats about it.

well at least I have good news. I had the pleasure of meeting stu charno on friday. Thats the guy fromt he hallmark commercial and friday the 13th part 2. Really cool guy. I told him to check your site, as hes shown up more than once.
he gave me a $100 bill with his face on it

Ahh, the moodiness about age that looms when Age 30 draws near. I remember it well. If its any consolation, I remember reading your site back when I was your age and you were a couple years younger. I remember thinking to myself that this writer is remarkably hip and cool and knowledgeable about my childhood. This caused me to believe you were an advanced child, or I was a little slow. (After all, how can you even remember 1983?)
I’m 31 now, and I agree with the other posters that your writing is improving with age. You may not be cutting edge with some stuff (no Hanna Montana reviews any time soon), but you’ll make up for it with other stuff.

hey, I’m a 30 year-old who looks like a 17 year-old who is going trick or treating tomorrow night with my brother(it helps I’m only 5′ tall). I’m gonna do it as long as I can, and when I look my age, I’ll just wear a mask. Only thing is, gotta have someone hold my cigarette so I can go up to the door with the pillowcase. Anyone else “too old” still go trick-or-treating?

Great stuff! You’re the best writer on the internets these days and I’d be happy with one or two good posts a week.

My girlfriend and I watched the great pumpkin the other night and I was thinking how great it was, dated in a way but in a good way. It was the first time I’d seen it in years which added more to the experience. I was also thinking about how the scenes featuring Snoopy sneaking around France are lame and have nothing to do with halloween. Anyway the real reason I’m writing this is because I am a long time reader of your site who just began actively commenting. I am 25 years old and I know for me, your site is an escape from how crappy the world can be at times in this day and age. Its fun to sit at my desk in my suit and tie and read about how god awful the Treehouse Trolls movie was (one of my favorite articles you’ve ever done.) Also, unless you like online poker or porno, there arn’t alot of places to go on the internet to be amused. And if its any indication from the comments you’ve been getting, your fans love you and this site to death. Sparratic updates are still updates, but once your start doing this because you HAVE to and not because you WANT to is the real danger. I hope that will never happen. Scowering your site for things to read during the day is a favorite passtime of mine and it’s a safe bet I’m not the only one. I’m not sure if my thoughts on the subject are being expressed within these drunken ramblings but if not I hope its at least its an amusing read.

As for Halloween for me, tonight a friend and I are going to see Saw 3 and then tomorrow (dressed as the grim reaper) I’ll be in Georgetown. This is my first halloween living near Wash DC and apparently they have a huge halloween parade on M street. Anyone know what I can expect? Anyway Matt, keep up the good work, and remember our past makes us who we are, forgetting that is the greatest of sins.

Yeah, I’m totally “too old” to trick and/or treat, but I have nephews and nieces that need to be chaperoned(I refuse to look up the spelling). My dad did/does this every year, and he’s 65….so there’s no such thing as too old for candy…er..i mean trick or treating.

I missed ITGPCH; but to my credit, i did watch all the halloweens (even sucky suck #3) and hellraisers this weekend (I had no idea there was any past like…4, I dunno; bloodines is more of a prequel anyway.)

Went to a ‘ween party; didn’t have costume. To my credit, i did fly to MD from TX. But, i coulda gone and bought the “kid riding a horse” costume i saw at Giant anyway…my sister had a shark head and I was Landshark!!!!

Im vegging out on the couch here after a kick arse halloween party last night which I spent the last month making decorations for.I went as Barry Scott so now I have no voice from yelling all night. Having another one tomorrow obviously for the actual halloween, which I NEVER get over. The whole year is dedicated to Halloween in my house, as far as im concerned, there is no other holiday. So eh yeah, Although i’ve been reading the halloween countdown for the ast 3 years, i’ve never posted comments r anything so just wanted to say, love it. I put up with a lot of stick over my halloween obsession so it’s great to see someone else who loves the holiday as much as i do!

hey dudes/dude-ettes,
ever wonder how your favourite super-villian became the evil super power we all know and love??
click my name and rejoice!

Hey Matt, Like you I am also a 20-something who has a soft spot for the Holidays and act like a kid again as the season approaches, but I have noticed things this year that have really upset me as to the future of halloween for kids. I remember back in the 80’s and early 90’s there were Halloween commercials galore plastered during every break in october on every station that had kid orientated programming. Watching tv you couldnt help but get into the season with all the exciting and innovative commericals. This year i have disappointedly only have seen 3, and let me know if you have seen any more. The first is of course the M&M’s commerical which you stated in the article. The second is a Jenny Craig commercial where Kirstie Alley opens the door and trys to give kids jenny craig meals. Usually I would say this commercial sucked, but there are only 3 to choose from. The last is a bud light commerical where there is a guy at a halloween party dressed as a fridge so that people will put their beers in him. I’ll have to admit I thought that was pretty good. Anyway other then a few questionable vague commericals for stores like k-mart and walgreens that are advertising candy specials there has been no other halloween themed commericals at all. At first I thought I was watching the wrong stations and that they might be out there and I am missing them, but this weekend my girlfriend and I were babysitting her 5 year old god-son and we spent the day watching basically every nickelodeon that could be watched nick/nick2/nicktoons/Nogn. I never realized there were so many damn Nick stations before!! Anyway there was not a single kid themed halloween commerical to be seen!! I remember when nickelodeon was all about halloween in October and they had the Nick-or-treat contest and every break would be filled with commericals of reeses vampires and mcnuggets in costume. I just wonder what happened to all that kid marketing. It sure as hell worked on me!! Now days there is nothing that really gets kids excited about halloween, and thats why I believe there are less kids out on the streets getting candy anymore, most just get dressed up for school or some mini-block-long parade where they get candy from all the other parents at like 3 in the afternoon and dont go out at night. You would think since most of the advertisers are around our age now, they would tap on some of this past success. The days of the commericals and week long halloween cartoon/program specials have long passed us and now there arent even shows/sitcoms in the NBC/CBS/ABC line-up that are even for kids, so you can forget halloween tidings there. Its a shame, but I hope one day it all resurfaces its self again, Theres always hope!!!

Matt You should not be so hard on yourself, we are just happy that you still try and do these year after year. I have a suggestion though. Espcially for these holiday specials you could possibly cut them down a bit. For posting one a day you write pretty long posts and I’m sure noone would mind you trimming them down in favor of getting them up on time.

First, to the childlike arete:
You should have punched the horse, it worked for Sid Ceasar!

Now, to the rant at hand:
(steps up on soapbox) Ladies, gentlemen, boys, girls, and others, I stand here to address the state of Hallowe’en in our time. Much has been made about the way All Hallows’ is being celebrated, and we have talked about how it used to be. I say that we, us, and everybody who loves this time of year have to do our best and brightest, our forthright and foremost, to bring the fun to the American Hallowe’en that is the cornerstone of our childhood memories. for example, this past Saturday, I helped my Ma at a Powwow for the local Comanche Outreach Program. There was a costume contest for the kids who dressed up. 0-3 years, a lot of cute costumes, 4-7, a few cool ones, 8-10, about five kids, 11-14, only three. After that, there were no teens who costumed up. The call went out to anyone who dressed, teen, adult, whoever. I was the only one in a costume (the oft-mentioned Freddy mask/Pizza slice combo) to step up. I won a Sony Psych CD player. Now there was a time when a lot more adults would have stepped out. As grown-ups, it becomes important to show kids that we all have fun on this great mongrel holiday that is so unique to the U.S. Thanksgiving (aka Take a Native American to Lunch Day) means being with loved ones, Christmas is time for giving to others, but Hallowe’en is the only one of the year for a bit of self-interest. Being what you want to be, or to be what you’re normally not. Time to get spooked, or spook others. To walk among the ghosts, and have them walk among us. To be handed candy, or hand it out. To have the adults take us Trick or Treating, or we take the kids. And that is what it is, our passing on of childhood and tradition in a civilization that has less and less of either. Even if you don’t have kids, you have young cousins, nieces and nephews, godkids, friends’ kids who think you’re cool, a neighborhood scamp you may have taken under your wing. Remember those parties you used to go to? Apple bobbing, passing the bowls of squishy food items? Running around with your peers in plastic smocks like you lost all good sense, those costumes you went to the store with your folks to get? Those kids who had the cool homemade costumes, and you wish you had some neat-o old ratty clothes so you could be the awesome zombie, or or lots of spare bandage to be a mummy with the great Egyptian headdress somebody’s dad paper-machied (sp?) last month, remember how bowled over you were? Well, the lynchpin of all this is: Wasn’t it more fun than you thought you should be allowed to have? When did that stop? The best way to keep it going is to pass it on to the child-types. Even though my nephews can watch scary movies any old time on DVD or Cable, I tell them there are times when they have the most impact, like late at night. And not to watch them over and over, they lose impact that way. In fact, lay off most holiday specials during the off-seasons, for the same reason. Pass on the stories, the costume ideas, the great pranks that harmed nobody, the way you used to scope out the best houses that had the best candy or the best decorations. Don’t be the fogey that sits out in reg’lar clothes to hand out candy, go whole hog with the costume. Have fun, make it fun, share the fun. That’s what we really remember, all the fun we had. Fun is the most selfish when we have it with others. I’ll be 37 this Wednesday, and I’m still having fun, why aren’t you? Thank you. (gets off soapbox)

I’m ready to see some pictures of everyone here in their Halloween costumes. I know everyone has cameras nowadays, so it’s time to step up. I’m going to a party tonight so I’ll have mine up tonight or tomorrow. Everyone join in the Halloween pseudo-party! Even if you’re not planning on putting it on again, do it and take a picture of yourself in your living room or something. It’ll be rad, I promise.

Matt, you have a real gift. Don’t let a few emails diminish any of your fine work here. Try to remember that you have created a drug known as X-E, and people are addicted to it. We go through withdrawal easily, and might just go off and kill a motherfucker if we don’t get every drop of nastalgia offered up on this site. Awesome job as always, Matt.

My brother is only 10, and he already thinks that he’s too old to go Trick-or-treating. In fact, he said he thought it was boring. I know that I went until I turned 13 (I was also over 6′ tall that year so it didn’t help my case). I had friends that went until they were old enough to drive. Even after I quit trick-or-treating, I would still go to school in costumes every year until I graduated. Of course, we still had some mischevious fun as well.

Hooray! Booberry for dinner! It is as though I once was blind, but now I have delicious cereal! The blind part sucks, though. Seriously.

“On the right, it’s a rather unique perspective of Dracula, with blue skin and a veritable lion’s mane.”- Call me crazy but I’m pretty sure that’s supposed to be Mr. Hyde, ya know from Dr. Jekyll &…

Welp, I am very happy tonight, I got to see It’s The Great Pumpkin tonight! This is the first time I’ve seen it since I was very very little. I was extra happy to watch for number 5 and for the crazy eyes. It was also special b/c my little dude watched it with me, it kept his attention pretty well for being 13 months.

I’ve been reading your site ever since 1999 or so, and it’s always been a pleasure. Every year I watch the Charlie Brown animated specials and every year I simultaneously feel old and like I’m communing with my younger self. It’s a strange feeling, but I like it. I found your post to be quite touching, and I wish you a happy halloween.

one day till halloween, halloween, one more day till halloween…silver shamrock. don’t forget to buy our masks.

I sometimes get to feeling the same way about the holidays. I think how the commercialization (sp?) of the holidays is worse now, but the fact is it was just as rampant then as it was now (I’m almost 31) but then it was part of the magic. Now we see it for what is truly was/is - grabbing for our dollars.

And don’t worry about your writing. It is still far more entertaining to read that 3/4ths of the stuff out there. I too have a penchant for collecting odd stuff from my childhood. I just proudly created a displaye for my collection of 1983 Video Game Slurpies cups (back when they were made of actual firm plastic) in my game room, and while I feel their novelty is lost on everyone else, I know there is at least someone else out there who would still appreciate what they stand for.

Last night, due to Matt’s article, I watched ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ on my old VCR. It was wonderful- THAT is how I like to measure the passing of years- through the viewing of holiday specials.

Today I worked at a pre-school and ALL the kids (my class is the 3 yr olds) were dressed up and it was AWESOME- they were super excited. We went to a senior citizen’s home and sang songs for the old folk and they LOVED seeing those little kids. It was a warm fuzzy kind of day. I guess it helps to be around kids at Halloween- and I agree with KINGKLASH- WE “ADULTS” NEED TO STEP UP AND BRING BACK THE GLORY TO THESE HOLIDAYS LIKE HALLOWEEN- TEACH THIS NEW GENERATION HOW TO KICK IT OLD SCHOOL.

“â€¢ Remember your favorite Halloween costume? Matt from X-Entertainment does, and it was from the year he desperately wanted to go as Alf, but couldn’t find the right mask, and instead went as Alf’s cousin, Ralph. You’ve just got to read it. I hope he adds more photos soon.”

Matt, I can forgive you for missing a couple days worth of updates.
In a world where holliday specials are next to non existant and holliday episodes are reserved for X-Mas only (and even then it’s usually nothing more than a normal episode with a tree and some snow) it’s hard to find a reason to get pumped for Halloween.
I went to Kent State’s big Halloween Party over the weekend and was severly dissapointed by how many people were too drunk to remember it was a Halloween party (Should have seen that coming since it’s a college town… and a college for really dumb kids at that) I later stopped into my local 24 hour K-Mart to boost my Halloween spirit and even while still dressed as Gambit the fact that X-Mas displays were allready replacing Halloween displays (Not joining, REPLACING) made me very depressed.
As I said last year, your Halloween Countdown was one of the only things to keep my haunting spookiness high and bloody. Last year was unique as the Nightmare Before X-Mas game just came out to help me hail Satan and rock out with Frankenstein. This year, your site and endless amounts of candy with mean eyes on them were the only thing keeping me from stuffing turkeys too early.
Kudos to you, Mr. C, and Happy Halloween.

I didn’t do anything for halloween this year, well except i’m going to watch the conan o brien special..Feels kind of sad.

matt yer the shat, keep it up, ive been reading and enjoying for years. i was wondering though does anyone remember those movies mr Boogity or Bride of Boogity, i liked em a lot Boogity Boogity boo

It’s a bit late in the game, but I actually saw these - minus the cardboard backs - tonight at 7-11 on the way home from Collingswood. I was in the 7-11 for Slurpees and didn’t buy any, but it made for a nice coda to my Halloween.

i HAVE that werewolf! he IS top notch..i keep him out year round and make him do strange belly dances to annoy people when they come over to play nes.

Yeah, “The Great Pumpkin” was given an hour-long timeslot this year so it could be shown uncut. ABC’s been doing the same thing with “A Charlie Brown Christmas” for the past five years or so.

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